The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-07-23

I"N. -. ri
HAULING A MoRTAR-From Drawing " liar
per's War Volumes.
The night OF April Spanish Fort WA
evacuated In Mobile paper of that same
date was found the following letter on
titled:
A Letter Under Fire.
ION PICKET, SPANISH FORT, April T. 1861
Mcssrs Editors: with powder. burned face and Q
sore shoulder from the backward movement OIL
my rife, have concluded to rest little, and
while resting viii amuse myself by dropping
you u line But stop right here, will take q
chew OF tobacco, for have plenty and OF the
finest article, and | did not buy Z, nor steal It,
nor draw II, but | have A. We arc having a
fine time here sharp-shootng with the Yankees
though we never put our heads above the breast
works, for the atmosphere is unhealthy toe
high up. but we have hcadlogs 10 shoot under
which the boys call skull crackers We have
another game we play over here; II IS game
used to play when boy hut there is not alto
gether so much fun IN 1t now a. there was then.
It IS a game called 'Antny over We play II
here with shells from "A mortar gun. The one
that catches II is the one that Is caught out
and not the one that throws II.
We have generally about two artillery ducls
each day, and they make things happen when
they do get at IT, Every thing IS comparatively
quiet at night
Ten thousand thanks to the ladies OF Mobile
for sending Us that provision, they sent US last
night think was the hungrlcst man on the
"map.' You ought TO have seen with what
eagcrucss | dcvoured those eggs, meat and cake
While eating my seart ran out IN thankfulness
10 the far daughters OF the fair city | was
proud that was a soldier battling for the rights
OF such ladies as those"
shall have 10 close. The shells are coming
too fast aud my mind IS too much conferred on
Number One and my nerves too unsteady to
write. You know that bOmbshcllS are very de.
moralizIng II they are not so dangerous.
More anon, CHuM.
From the same papers editorial column
the following 10 taken:
"The Enemy"
From about FIVE o'clock TIL after dark last
evening the firing on the eastern shore was the
heaviest yet heard. and II stil continues.
though somewhat saCkened az our usual time
OF closing, though We are yet without any infor
nation Of the progress Of affairs
slater. After eleven o clock dispatch was re-
ceivcd, stating that the enemy had opened on
Spanish Fort with thirty guns, but after a great
deal OF noise had made no Impression. Our
garrison over there stands like stone wall.
w AHh't - bd'' w 'HC SHph-
dy-contract sort, so that very few OF the shells
explode. our artllcrists use only Confederate
powder to seud back their own proIectiies.
While we write at ten o'clock p M, an Occa-
sional gun is heard"
From the same column the following is
also excepted:
"Brave Boys"
The following letter received by Major Gen.
oral Maury from a student at Spring Hin Col
lcgc cannot be read with Indifference by friend
or foe OF the cause of Confederate independence.
This is what General Grant would call "robbing
the cradle to recruit our armies"
SPRINGHIIL COLLEGE,, March q, 1885.
MAJ. Gen. u H. WaTy.
DEAR SIR:-At the request OF great many Of
my fellow students, write TO you on very
serious subJect-that is about joining the army
for the defense Of Mobile.
The President Will not let us 20 without w
consider ourselves expelled 50 we wish you to
send out one OF your aids and muster us in the
service
There will be about forty that will go. We
are all Of age, strong and healthy and can fight
as good as any man =. = Now, General, we
want your assistance; II We do not receive it
soon we will be compelled to go and be ex-
PEELED So we do not think you could help from
assisting us
Please help us Immediately
STUDENT OF SPRINGHIIL COLLEGE
AT the time the Thirteenth army corps
was advancing up the eastern shore on
Mobile Bay-jOinc by the Sixteenth corps
Mt the mouth of Fish rlver-to the invest
mcnt and siege OF Spanish Fort, Il cooper
Grating column, led by General Francis
Steele, moved from Pensacola, Fla,
and attacked Fort Blakely, twelve miles
northeast of Mobile on the Tensaw river.
As soon as Spanish Fort fell into our
hands, the troops engaged in the in
vcstmcnt OF this place were ordered to
Blakely, about ten miles northeast and TO
the right
The march was begun near noon OF April
D About half the distance had been ac-
when "a terrific caunonade and
fire was heard at the front.
Under tho inspiration Of this sound
the column moved faster, but by and
by tho firing ceased and word came back
that Blakcly had been carried by assault
This was sultry Sabbath afternoon and
he very day that Lee surrendered at APP
pomatox, April g. 1865, though the latter
event was not known to the Union forces
about Mobile tn some DAYS later.
Toward night the command went into
camp near Blakely. IN agrove OF pine trees.
Early next morning the scene OF the pre-
vIous days battle was VISITED. AT both
Spanish Fort and Blakcly tho CoEfeder-
ates had planted torpcdoes about the ap-
proaches To their works. These working
parties were removing as their location
was pointed out by Confederate prisoners.
1t was SAID that several Of our men the
day previous had trodden upon these ter
rlble Instruments Of death and We're blown
10 atoms In most instances they were
percussion shells placed Just beneath the
~